2023-02-16 06:27:21 by ambuda-bot
This page has not been fully proofread.
LALITA-SAHASRANAMA
Mahanirvana Tantra puts it, "Possessing merely the
form of man, he moves about this earth for the salva-
tion and the instruction of the world." In other words,
he becomes a jivanmukta
38
The Tantra divides all men into three classes-pasu,
vira and divya-according to the three gunas, tamas,
rajas and sattva. We are told that the sadhaka is in the
paśu or animal stage in the first four achäras mention-
ed above. He enters on the vira or heroic stage in the
Vāmāchāra, develops himself in the Siddhanta stage and
finally enters on the dis ya or divine stage in the Khula-
chär. Before we dismiss all this as mere moonshine
we should remember that Sri Ramakrishna Parama-
hamsa trod this path of Tantrik sadhana and reached the
goal of self-realization. In this connection we should
read carefully the chapter on Tantrik sadhana in this
saint's biography. Obviously, it is the Vamachara that
he practised, for he says:-
"The Brāhmani put me through all the exercises
mentioned in the sixty-four principal Tantra books.
Most of these were extremely difficult sâdhanas-some
of them so dangerous that they cause the devotee to
lose his footing and sink into moral degradations But
the infinite grace of the Mother carried me through
them unscathed"
If a sadhaka like Sri Ramakrishna found these
practices so dangerous, no wonder that many an ordi-
nary man attempting them became engulfed and lost
all his moral moorings. The Vamâchãra was most
prevalent in Bengal, Bihar and Assam. What havoc it
Mahanirvana Tantra puts it, "Possessing merely the
form of man, he moves about this earth for the salva-
tion and the instruction of the world." In other words,
he becomes a jivanmukta
38
The Tantra divides all men into three classes-pasu,
vira and divya-according to the three gunas, tamas,
rajas and sattva. We are told that the sadhaka is in the
paśu or animal stage in the first four achäras mention-
ed above. He enters on the vira or heroic stage in the
Vāmāchāra, develops himself in the Siddhanta stage and
finally enters on the dis ya or divine stage in the Khula-
chär. Before we dismiss all this as mere moonshine
we should remember that Sri Ramakrishna Parama-
hamsa trod this path of Tantrik sadhana and reached the
goal of self-realization. In this connection we should
read carefully the chapter on Tantrik sadhana in this
saint's biography. Obviously, it is the Vamachara that
he practised, for he says:-
"The Brāhmani put me through all the exercises
mentioned in the sixty-four principal Tantra books.
Most of these were extremely difficult sâdhanas-some
of them so dangerous that they cause the devotee to
lose his footing and sink into moral degradations But
the infinite grace of the Mother carried me through
them unscathed"
If a sadhaka like Sri Ramakrishna found these
practices so dangerous, no wonder that many an ordi-
nary man attempting them became engulfed and lost
all his moral moorings. The Vamâchãra was most
prevalent in Bengal, Bihar and Assam. What havoc it